YANKEES TARGET TO REPLACE BENINTENDI STINKS!

I can't say I can relate to that statement since it isn't applicable to me....but that's what a coworker said to me after Andrew Benintendi split. I don't need to have the groin to know this one does sting when you took a deeper look at the dynamics.

I have been a Benintendi fan for a long time. When he played for the Boston Red Sox I hated that he played against us and he had the skills we really needed. How can you not love a 28-year old let handed hitter that makes contact? He's exactly what the Yankees needed so yes, I am bummed he is gone.

But maybe he didn't love the Yankees as much as I loved having him. Or maybe the Yankees finally realized their bad money management screwed them. I tend to believe the latter but last month we wrote RUMOR: BENINTENDI MIGHT NOT WANT TO TO RETURN TO THE YANKEES and I was hoping the rumor was wrong, and we may never know but maybe there was some truth to it.

I have a hard time believing that crappy bottom of the barrel Joey Gallo can get a one-year deal at $11 million but Benintendi was only worth five years at $75 million? Sure, his injury didn't help last season but this is a guy that doesn't have an extensive injury history and can hit and field more consistently than ANYONE on the Yankees roster. He's as valuable as they come so the fact that he left for the White Sox stings. 

That contract is one the Yankees shouldn't have even blinked at, but since they have too many other bad contracts on the books and are looking at paying hefty taxes thanks to the luxury tax I believe they screwed themselves. Now the Yankees are looking at "Plan B" and honestly shouldn't even be an option! You can read more HERE in case you missed it but come on....seriously....Michael Conforto? That's just laughable! That should be a hard pass. I don't care that he's a lefty, he's a huge risk. The Yankees would be better off giving Harrison Bader an opportunity because he impressed last season and guess what....he's cheaper.

Looking at the business side of things, losing Benintendi particularly hurts considering the Yankees gave up a trio of good mid-level pitching prospects in righties Beck Way, T.J. Sikkema and Chandler Champlain. Hindsight is 20/20 but losing good prospects for a short term rental that got injured is hard to swallow.

I'm trying to look forward, but it is hard. This one hurts in more ways than one. Hopefully the pain subsides but it will if I have to listen to Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone tell us how great Aaron Hicks is going to be as the starter in LF this year I will lose my mind!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj